Our revised School Uniform for Years 7, 8 & 9 September 2025 onward is as follows:

• A plain black blazer with The Appleton School badge. Blazers may be purchased from any retailer, (but must be a blazer, not a fitted jacket). The School badge, which is available to be purchased from the school or PENN UK, is to be sewn to blazer breast pocket. Alternatively, blazers with integral pre-embroidered badge are available from PENN UK.
• Plain white formal shirt with collar, buttoned to the neck; to be tucked in at all times.
• School House clip-on tie*, fastened over the top shirt button and based on your child’s House allocation..
• Plain black formal trousers, tailored in style, and long enough to cover the top of the shoe.
  Jeans, leggings, jeggings, harem-pants, combat trousers, those with large buckles, very skinny or very wide styles are not permitted.
• The Appleton School black kilt skirt with green piping*, (optional alternative to trousers). No other skirt is acceptable, however school trousers can be worn as an alternative. Please note, the school skirt has an approved length of 22 inches and should be worn no shorter than two inches above the knee and must not be rolled up at the waist.
• A plain black ‘V’ neck pullover is optional, but if worn it must be a plain school jumper (No branded jumpers, hooded tops, sweatshirts or tracksuit tops).
• Plain black tights or black or white ankle socks. Knee length socks are not permitted.
• School Shoes – Formal practical black leather (or faux leather alternative) shoes which must have a heel and black laces (where appropriate). Shoes with visible brands or emblems or logos are not permitted. Canvas shoes, flat sole shoes, trainers, high heels or boots of any kind are not permitted. This includes those with medical needs. Where reasonable adjustments apply and with supporting medical evidence e.g a doctor’s letter, we accept alternative footwear, but without visible branding. This would be reviewed on an individual needs basis. Please refer to our 'Shoes' page for further clarification on the shoes that are acceptable.

Parents are strongly advised to contact Student Services if in doubt about permissible school shoes. Many retail outlets advertise footwear as ‘school shoes’ when they are in fact trainers and we are always happy to advise.

*Denotes items only available from PENN UK

The wearing of full school uniform is compulsory for all school sessions and any journeys to and from the school site. This policy encourages students to identify with the school while promoting a positive, purposeful atmosphere during the working day.

The items listed below are designed with smartness, practicality and availability in mind and differences in requirements for each sex have been kept to a minimum.

Excessive make-up is inappropriate; students should not wear false eyelashes, nail polish or acrylic nails.
Any student failing to adhere to this policy will be expected to remove the item immediately or will be placed in our reflection room.

Students are not allowed to wear bracelets, nose studs or any other piercing. Students are allowed one ring of sensible size, a watch and one stud earring in each ear.
Any student failing to adhere to this policy will be expected to remove the item immediately or will be placed in our reflection room.

Inappropriate block colouring, streaks or highlights, as well ‘under-cutting', ‘tramlines' or ‘carving' hair is not permitted. Please note that students' hair should also always be a natural colour. Tattoos or body art should not be visible.
Students failing to adhere to this expectation will be placed in our reflection room.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION KIT for Years 7 - 11

Compulsory Items:

• Appleton badged Green PE top*
• Appleton badged Black PE Shorts*
• Plain black knee length Football socks
• Plain colour swimming trunks or plain colour one-piece swimming costume and goggles
• Trainers
• Football boots
• Shinpads
• Gum Shield (required for rugby)

Optional Items:

• Appleton badged Rugby shirt*
• Appleton badged ¼ Zip Training Top*
• Appleton badged Black Tracksuit Bottoms or Appleton badged PE Sport leggings
  or, alternatively, plain black sports tracksuit bottoms / sweatshirt
• Appleton badged Rain Jacket*
• Towel for shower use

*Denotes PE kit items only available from SchoolSports4u

Suppliers

Main School Uniform

Penn School Uniform Shop, 15 Kents Hill Road, South Benfleet SS5 5PN
https://pennuk.com

Physical Education Kit

School Sports 4U Uniform shop Romford Shopping Hall, Unit 114, 43 Market Place RM1 3AB https://schoolsports4u.co.uk

UNIFORM LIST FOR Years 10-11 SEPTEMBER 2025

We always recommend that parents and carers refer to our school rules regarding uniform before purchasing uniform clothing.

Please be aware when purchasing new school uniform that some High Street stockists sell uniform in their 'Back to School' ranges which do not adhere to the school's permitted criteria below.

ALL STUDENTS :

• BLACK BLAZER with APPLETON BADGE
• School House/ House Year 11 clip on tie*, fastened over the top shirt button and based on your child’s House allocation.
• Please note that Year 11 ties will be updated for September 2025 to incorporate the House system across the school, and will be available from the Summer term.
• PLAIN WHITE SHIRT or BLOUSE (not an aertex T-shirt) that is buttoned up to the neck and tucked in at the waist
• PLAIN BLACK, FORMAL TROUSERS, which go over shoes. Not permitted: Jeans, cropped trousers, stretchy, jersey or lycra/skinny-fit trousers, jeggings or leggings, brushed cotton/chino style trousers.
  or
• Formal black pleated skirt, made of an appropriate material and worn to a reasonable length. Stretchy, jersey, lycra or tube style skirts are not permitted. The top of the skirt must not be rolled over. Students who repeatedly shorten their skirts may be asked to wear trousers instead.
• PLAIN BLACK ANKLE SOCKS or, for girls, WHITE ANKLE SOCKS/PLAIN BLACK OR NATURAL TIGHTS, no long knee length socks are permitted.
• FORMAL PRACTICAL BLACK LEATHER SHOES (or faux leather alternative) which must have a heel and black laces (where applicable). Must not have any sports brands/emblems/logos. Canvas shoes, flat sole style shoes, trainers, high heels or boots are not permitted. Please refer to our 'Shoes' page for further clarification on the shoes that are acceptable.
• PLAIN BLACK "V" NECK SCHOOL JUMPER (optional)
• No designer names or sweat shirts or hooded tops, the only jumper allowed is a plain black v-neck jumper as detailed above. Sweat shirts or hooded tops should not be worn as an alternative to a coat.
• A PLAIN OUTSIDE COAT: this may not be denim or leather and must not have any emblems.
• Students can wear a hat to and from school, and during social time, but must be removed in the school building.

*Denotes items only available from PENN UK

Students who arrive at school and are not meeting our full Uniform Policy will be expected to remove the particular item as soon as possible or, if they refuse, will be placed in our Inclusion Centre and will not be allowed to attend mainstream lessons.

ESSENTIAL SCHOOL EQUIPMENT

So that students can apply themselves swiftly and effectively to any task required of them, it is recommended that they carry with them each day the following range of items:

• Two good lead pencils (HB)
• A selection of coloured pencils (not felt tips)
• A rubber and sharpener
• A 300mm ruler (marked in inches)
• At least two pens (black or blue)
• A green pen for student feedback
• An angle measure and a compass
• A basic calculator
• A pair of round nosed safety scissors
• A glue stick
• An English dictionary
• A French or German Dictionary (Collins Easy Learning French/German Dictionary or Oxford Learner's French/German Dictionary)
• A pencil case large enough to carry the above
• A large water proof bag
• A reading book

Students will not need all this equipment on their first day, so do contact the school if you need any help or advice.

Lockers are now provided for all students but do please mark items with name and form wherever possible to reduce the chance of loss.

SAFETY:

To maintain the existing high standards of safety, the school follows the recommendations of Essex County Council in its "Safety in P.E." Handbook. "Watches, jewellery and earrings, belts with metal buckles and other unnecessary encumbrances likely to prove dangerous to the wearer or to others, should not be worn". The support of parents in implementing this policy when students are taking part in PE activities would be most appreciated and is clearly in the best interests of all students involved.

EQUALITY

In implementing the policy, we will have regard to the provisions in the Equality Act 2010, in particular the requirement not to discriminate, either directly or indirectly, against a student because they have a protected characteristic, for example because of their gender, race, disability or religious belief. In particular, we will consider requests from parents or students who can demonstrate that wearing a particular article of clothing or jewellery or having a particular hairstyle which are not permitted by this policy is a genuine manifestation of the student’s religion or is necessary as a result of a medical condition amounting to a disability, on a case-by-case basis. Where we are satisfied that the student’s equality rights would be infringed, the request will be granted except where doing so would raise a legitimate concern, for example on security, public order or health and safety grounds. We reserve the right to request documentary evidence from, for example, a religious leader or medical professional, in support of any request to deviate from this policy, in appropriate cases.